Illuminated sign.



' LHOTCHNER.

1LLUM1NATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1918.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

I Hotchner UNrrED sTA'rEs ATENT onirica.

JOSEPH HOTCHNER, 0F SAN FRANCISCD, CALIFRNIA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

.Application led April 22, 1918. Serial No. 229,894.

To all @hom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HOTCHNER, citlzen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco,

` frame supporting the letters.

It will be-understood by those skilled in the art that with this type' of electric sign,

.it is necessary to provide a border of some kind to improve the appearance of the sign, and with this sign the borders are carried in standard stock lengths and may be used either for signs in which the letters are arranged horizontally or on signs in which the letters are arranged vertically thereby y,dispensing with the necessity for carrying f al separate stock of letters for these two puril poses. 30

Another object of the invention is Ato provide a sign body which will have Hush letter surfaces throughout its length and height except at its sides or top of the sign, therebyeliminating the accumulation of dirt and dust.

Other objects of the invention will' appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a sign built according to the invention disclosed herein,

Fig.2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a sign built in accordance with the invention disclosed herein,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a vertical sign built in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of the letters detached from the sign body,

Fig. 5 is an edge view of theletter shown in Fig. 4 showing the crimped edges of the letter which overlap or underlap the next adjacent letter or border, f

Fig. is an edge elevation of the letter h'own 1n Fig. 4 looking at right angles to Fig.j 7 is a front elevation of one of the border plates,

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of one of the border plates,

Fig. 9 is a plan view on a slightly larger scale of one type of border corner,

Fig. lO'is a section of the border corner taken on the line lO-lO of Fig. 9,

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of one form of mitered border corner,

Fig. 12 is a plan View of the mitered border corner which is adapted to lfit the corne-r shown in Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is an edge elevation of the border 'corner shown in Fig. 11 showing the overlap at its mitered edge.

Fig. 14 1s a plan view of a portion of the border plates of a sign in which a slightly different form of mitered corner is used from that shown in the preceding figures,

and

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the connecting Fig. 14.

The numeral 1 indicates the top rail of the sign, 2 the bottom rail thereof, which rails ane formed of suitable channel steel connected togetherfto form a support for the several letters. The letters each comprise plates 3 with raised portions 4 and 5 adapted to overlap the next adjacent plate top or bottom, as the case may be. Each of the plates is provided with such a number of sockets 6, each carrying a lamp L, as may be desired.

It will be observed that the letter plates are substantially plane sheets of metal which may be painted or enameled -as desired.

In order to space the letters of opposite sides of a sign away from one another, plates 7 8 and 9 are connected with the channels 1 and 2 respectively, and they each have two fiat lportions 10 and 11 which connect respectively with the channel iron frame of the sign, and with the .letter plates. Suitable screws or bolts are used to connect the plates 8, 9 and 10 with the channel plates and with the letters, so that the letters stand away from one another double the distance between the two plates of the tlatxportions I'lo u v'plate used on the mitered corner shown in 10 and 11 of the plates 7 plus the width of the channel iron used. The plates' 7 abut 'f against angle corners 13 which are the same for all corners of a sign, whether vertical or horlzontal, and they have a ligure 15 on the border thereof which matches the igures 16 on the border of the plates.

Arrangements are made so far as possible to have the holes 16 in the border plates 7 and in the mitered plates 13 at standard distances from one another, so that in the assembly of the sign the minimum labor will be required.

If desired, the border plates shown in Figs. 11 to 13 may be used in which the border plates 17 and 18 form one complete corner, the plate 17 having a raised portion 19 cut on a miter to overlap the mitered edge of the plate 18. When the sign is assembled, it will be observed that the border is the same whether used vertically or horizontally, and in each case the surface .of the plate carrying the letter is raised from the frame of the signbody up a distance equivalent to the distance between the two /parallel planes of the border plates. The frontof the sign is therefore all in substantially one plane, and the same letters and border may be used equally well for the production of a vertical s1 or a horizontal sign.4

In Fig. 14, the border plates are similar to those used in the preceding figures except that the flanges 30, 31, 3:2 and 33 are cut square 'so that they will lie vin the same plane, and the beveled portion of the plate 31, 35 is cut to fitas well as it conveniently will, after which it is-covered with an overlapping beveled plate 37, which is provided with holes to connect to the two plates 34,

35, and which nmkesl a perfect finish for the border over the joined corners of Vthe inclined portion' of the plates 341, 35.

Havingyrltfhus described my invention what I claim aS/new and desire to vsecure by Letters Pateiitof the United States, is as follows, eX Wh ss reservation being made of permissibleflrlodiiications.

1. An illuminated sign comprising a frame, a series of lat letter plates, a series of border "3 lates having two parallel edge portions one of which carries a decoration,

the edge portions being connected with a 50l portion inclined 'to both edge portions, means to connect the letters and border, means to 'illuminate the letters and corner plates for joining the end and side border plates to complete the finish of the sign.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a frame, a seriesof border plates having portions parallel to each other in two diii'erent planes and connected b-y a plate inclined to both of the parallel portions, a corner finishing plate adapted to overlie the'beveled portion of the border plates at the joining corners, a series of letters connected with the border plates, and means to illuminate the letters.

3. A sign comprisingfa frame, a series ot' letter plates, a series of border plates each having two parallel portions in different planes and an intermediate portion inclined to and connecting the parallel portions, means to connect the border plates, frame and letter plates to produce a beveled edge sign, and Acorner plates having portions in two planes to complete the finish of the sign. L1. A sign comprising a frame, a series of letter plates. ay series of border plates for the ends and sides of the sign,` each border plate having two parallel portions in different planes and an yintermediate, portion inclined to and connecting the parallel portions, and means to connect the border plates, frame vand letter plates to produce a beveled edge sign. l

5. A sign comprising 'a frame, a series ot' letter plates, a series of border plates for the sides and ends of the sign each having two parallel portions in diii'erent planesl and an intermediate portion inclined to and/ connecting the parallel portions, the end border plates being substantially the Same as the side borderplates, means to connect the border plates and letter plates to the frame to produce a beveled -edge sign, and corner plates for completing the finish of the sign. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand Athis 12th (lay oiApril, A. D. 1918. 

